Automatic piano-player.



G. E. GITTINS. AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER. APPLICATION FILED DEO.3,1909

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

CHARLES nnwaancrr'rms or rwicxnnnam, ENGLAND.

- auroma'rxc PIANO-PLAYER.

Specification ofLetters Yatent. Patented Dec. Application filed December 3, 1909. Serial lfl'o. 531,240. 7

in all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES Enwann Grr'rnzs, engineer, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Ba yden, London Road, 'lwickenham, in the county of Middlescx, England, have invented new and useful Automatic Piano'-'"Players, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates 'to means bywhlch the strength of tone of each individual sound-producing device of a piano is con- I trolled by the aid of holes of varying area. in the tune sheet. This is effected accordlng to this invention by actuating the valve which controlsthe pneumatic or the like by means of members of different sizes actin in opposition to each otherand so adapted that both sides of both members are sub ected to oneand the same pressure of air or- 20' one side of each member to, the one pressure and the other side of each member to a second pressure; v

Figure 1 is a section of a portion of an automatic piano player showing one method of controlling the valve when the pneumatic is actuatedby means of a vacuum apparatus.

.Fig. 2 shows a modification of the same method. Fig. 3 is a section of a portion of an automatic piano player showing another method of controlling the valvewhen the pneumatic is actuated by means of compressed air. Fig. 4 shows a modified arran ement also actuated by'compressed air.

Tie automatic piano player shown in Fig. 1 comprises as is usual an operating chamber consisting of a vacuum box A, a valve V V, a pneumatic M which is as shown normally open to the atmosphere, a tube T lead ing to the tracker board, and a bleed W placing the pipe T in communication with A.

In Fig. 1 a is a large diaphragm and a" a small diaphragm placed within the vacuum box A in such a manner that they form a continuation of the pipe T. b is a stem 0 is a wire the diaphragm a in order that the movement of the diaphragms may operate the valve V.

Normally both sides of the diaphragms a and a will be at .one and the same pressure vizi that of the vacuum box A but when air p in through T the pressure acting on one side of a and a will be as before that of A but on the other side a greater pressure.

The diaphragm a has a retarding effect for effect that a greater-or less quantity of air will pass around the valve V V into the box A which by destroying the partial vacuum in A moreor less will cause the motor M to strike a softer blow.

In Fig. 2 in which the same parts are marked with the same letters the diaphragmsareconnected together by a lever 03 pivoted atdflthe diaphragm a. retarding the movement of-a-as before.

Fig. 3 showsto a smaller scale an arrangement similar to Fig. l but in which the operating chamber A is connected to a source of pressure and the bleed is made to leak into theatmosphe're. In addition to these parts T is a tracker board which is COIltiLlllGd. within a closed chamber C maintained under pressure. and S is a perforated tune sheet.

Normally one side ofcach diaphragm is at one' pressure and the other side at a second pressure viz: that of the atmosphere. When compressed air is led through the holes in the tune sheet to. the pipe '1 both gm substantially so) and pass to the pneumatic M which of course 1n this case would be inflated;

In Fig. 4, 1 is the pneumatic carried by a frame 11, 2 the operating chamber maintained under pressure, 3, 4 is a valve plac ing the pneumatic l in communication with the chamber 2 or with the atmosphere. 5

is the valve spindle terminatin in a head G wh1ch bears upon a large diaphragm 7 which by means of a stem .7 8 isconnected to atsmaller diaphragm 8 which together with a box 9 forman inclosed space connected to the pipe 10 leading to thetracker, board 12. 13 is a blood in the tracker pipe 10. The diaphragm box 9 is suspended from the frame 11 by brackets 14:. The tracker board 12 is contained within a closed chamher maintained underpressure and is'aperforatedtune sheet.

Normally each side of'the'diaphragms 7 and 8 will be at atmospheric pressure. and

the valve 4 will prevent compressed air from 2 passing to the pneumatic 1; when however compressed air passes into the pipe. 10,

a through holes of varying area in the tune sheet the pressure acting on one side of 7 and 8. wil be greater than the pressure acting on their other sides and thevalve 3,

-' 4 will move upward thereby causing the pneutrolling device, comprising 'two members of "matic lto be inflated.

board than when alarger perforation passes over.

.lVhat I claim is 1. In an automatic piano player, the combination of, a pneumatic, a tracker board, a pipe communicating therewith, a valve for controlling said pneumatic, and a valve condifferent sizes acting in opposition to each communication a with other, one side of each memberbeing in the tracker board through said pipe.

2. In an automatic piano player, the combination of a pneumatic, a tracker board, a

pipe communicating therewith, a valve for controlling said pneumatic, and a valve controlling device, comprising two members of diiferent 'sizes acting in oppositionlo each upon by the same pressure while the other side of each-member 18 m communication with the tracker board through said pipe.

.other, one side ofboth members being acted I .3. In an automatic piano player, the combination of a pneumatic, a tracker board, a pipe communicating therewith, a valve for controlling said pncumatic, an operating chamber, and a valve controlling device. located within said chamber, comprising two members of different sizes acting in opposition to each other, one side of each member being in communication with the tracker board through said pipe.

CHARLES EDWARD GITTINS;

Witnesses WILrRED CARPMAEL,

J OHN HENDERSON Wnrrnnnan. 

